One warm afternoon in late May, 1960, Billy and I were lying on the living room floor as Mother reclined a few minutes with her feet up wearing the heavy surgical weight stockings the doctor had ordered. She was six months into a difficult pregnancy with her last child,and was supposed to be off her feet. She had spent a good portion of the morning tying to keep an eye on her fourteen-month-old, Connie, while trying to coax twelve-year old Phyllis and me at ten to do a little housework, help with Connie, and even get a little work out of seven year old Billy, while keeping him out of trouble. Phyllis was watching Connie. We were all terminally lazy, slacking off at the first excuse. None of us had any intention of doing anything we could avoid.
As we dawdled at her feet on the floor in the draft of the attic fan, one of us pulled out an old photo album. I quickly found a picture of her made her senior year of high school, the peak of her youth and beauty. “I graduated thirteen years ago today,” she remarked smilingly.
In my infinite wisdom, I proclaimed, “Oh Mother, you used to be beautiful!”
I turned for her smile, only to see a snarling, slobbering, swollen beast ready to pounce on me in rage! “”Used to be beautiful! Let’s see what you look like when you have five kids in twelve years! Put this stuff up, right now. Linda, you take your smart mouth and get those dishes washed. Phyllis, you put a pot of beans on for supper. Billy, you…”
By the way, this is not the picture in question. That one mysteriously disappeared
I’ve been browsing online more than 3 hours today, yet I never found any interesting article like yours. It is pretty worth enough for me. Personally, if all webmasters and bloggers made good content as you did, the internet will be a lot more useful than ever before.
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When I was in my mid-forties, my youngest daughter found a photograph of me from a couple of decades earlier, taken when I was a bridesmaid in a friend’s wedding. My daughter was astonished to learn that the slim, attractive brunette in the picture was her mother, and she said, “Mom, you look so beautiful in this picture, you look like someone else!”
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I would just love to see that picture. I loved the wedding photo you posted when II first followed you.
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Thanks so much.
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Didn’t Brian do a great job!
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You look so much like her : )
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https://nutsrok.wordpress.com/2016/01/11/the-most-fun-you…ng-bathroom-tour/
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I visited there, too. : )
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*scrub
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Heehee! Ooops. Yeah…what do you mean “used to be”? Ouch. At least the dishes got a good scrib. Lol.
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Lips sealed.
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https://nutsrok.wordpress.com/2016/01/11/the-most-fun-you…ng-bathroom-tour/
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Her picture shows a very lovely lady.
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Inside and out!
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https://nutsrok.wordpress.com/2016/01/11/the-most-fun-you…ng-bathroom-tour/
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About the last kind of thing a pregnant woman with kids underfoot wants to hear. I bet she spent a bit of time ruminating over that. Children are so blissfully innocent.
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Ignorant, yes. Didn’t enjoy bliss for long!
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My daughter often says – I like fat people and gives me a hug( meaning me) and I used to think she likes me because I am me.
Susie
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Bet she does!
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Probably the one and only time my mother did not put on make up, she took my niece to the store. My niece looked up at my mom and said, “Nana, you look like a witch.”😆
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https://nutsrok.wordpress.com/2016/01/11/the-most-fun-you…ng-bathroom-tour/
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I probably shouldn’t say this, but the photo looks a lot like you. The mouth has the exact same structure and the eyes. Not what most of us want to hear. I’m glad they found a cure for what ailed your mother. Birth control showed up just in time for me. My mother didn’t do well with 4 of us so the overflow all fell on me. I’ve heard the comment from people who have seen my younger self that I used to be a hoty. If I cared anymore it might bother me but I never thought I was and don’t care to be now. Being pregnant, your mom was probably quite strained already. Well told story. Loved it.
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https://nutsrok.wordpress.com/2016/01/11/the-most-fun-you…ng-bathroom-tour/
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Your mother was a beautiful woman. I’ve seen her when elderly and was still a pretty woman. it’s hard to look pretty when you have the problems your Mom was having at the time. Sometimes kids can say the darndest things. I’m sure you were sorry. It’s a shame. — Suzanne
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Boy was I ever sorry, and smarter! I learned not to say, “You used to be beautiful!”
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Step 1: Open mouth.
Step 2: Insert foot.
I have a tremendous amount of sympathy because I did similar things as a child more that once. I particularly remember expecting the other person to be pleased and then being stunned and a bit hurt that they were angry. Incidentally, your mother really was a fine-looking young woman.
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She was and still is!
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Haha! I just realize I did the same thing as when I was a child. Seems I haven’t learned very much. Good job your mother wasn’t in the room when I posted the comment or she might have bopped me on the nose. 🙂
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https://nutsrok.wordpress.com/2016/01/11/the-most-fun-you…ng-bathroom-tour/
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Out of the mouth’s of babes. Ouch!
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Ouch is right!
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Ah I see, I am not the only one that has caught the infamous “foot in mouth” disease…
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I was born yapping. It’s a curse!
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No edit button…it happened to the best of us. ☺
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Ha haha. Out of the mouth of babes. 😀 😀
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A big-mouthed babe.
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Uh-huh. Big mouthed is right. 😀
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Sometimes life can be hard on a big-mouthed kid!
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😀 😀
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https://nutsrok.wordpress.com/2016/01/11/the-most-fun-you…ng-bathroom-tour/
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Oh yes. If only we remembered to check our brain before opening our mouths. Beautiful picture.
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Thanks. I love it.
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The other night my partner and I watched the video where your Mother discusses the ‘problem with men’. We both loved the way she used the word ‘breath’…They breeeeeeeeth.
He said, she’s very beautiful and I agreed. I suppose one has to get older to see the beauty of graceful aging.
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I need to do some more of those! Thanks for reminding me.
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You’re a wonderful writer…I’m sure you would write something powerful.
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https://nutsrok.wordpress.com/2016/01/11/the-most-fun-you…ng-bathroom-tour/ For you!
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Awh, you said that in such awe …. but I understand your mothere too… lol
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It wasn’t a good day!
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I can vividly imagine…!!! Lots of work for everyone after what you said!
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The better to shut my mouth!
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You were a child! Children are simply authentic. It’s the adults who are rather not… lol
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Oh Dear! Your mum was and indeed is, a very beautiful woman, I hope she has since forgiven you! 🙂
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Never.
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https://nutsrok.wordpress.com/2016/01/11/the-most-fun-you…ng-bathroom-tour/
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The link didn’t work Linda 😦
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